THE WEST COAST RAILWAY.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2143, 7 January 1881, Page 3

THE WEST COAST RAILWAY.

A deputation waited on the Premier at noon yesterday with regard to tho proposed West Coast railway, comprising the Mayor of Grey mouth (Mr Nancarrow), Messrs E. Wilhin, H, W. Packer, Thornton, Browne, Bain, Wickes, Bothell, Pavitt, and ex-Distriot Judge Weston, Tfce deputation was very cordially received by tho Premier. Mr E. Wilkin introduced tho Mayor of Qroymouth (Mr Nancarrow) to tho Fifcmier, and naid that they had waited on the Premier as a deputation from certain persona who wore anxious to make a railway from the East to tbo West Coast. They resolved to get up a company, and had despatched two engineers to make a survey of the line. That was so satisfactory that they had waited on the Premier of tho colony to propose certain terms by which the company might bo floated in New Zealand, He would now read a rough draft of the proposals of tho promoters. This was as follows :

Upon the information provided by Messrs Thornton and Browne, civil engineers, in a report handed to the Hon. John Hall, it is proposed to form a company, with a capital of £1,030.000, to construct a railway from Hurnnui to the West Coast, via Reefton. The line is to be constructed upon the company's surveys to the satisfaction of his Excellency’s Government, who shall be at liberty to take it over as the sections are respectively completed, for the benefit of the colony. Between the colony and the company the line is to bo valued by the Government engineers, according to their recognised estimates for such class of work, and for the money fairly assessed land shall be given, and taken at a price to be agreed upon. Pending the decision of Parliament, the Government are to be asked to reserve the laud tinted pink on the plan attached hereto for the purposes mentioned. If Parliament should decline the terms proposed, his Excellency’s Government to be invited to defray the cost of the survey, to be prepared for letting contracts, and for the Bill, and take over all drawings and specifications that may be made. It is intended to carry out the works to some extent in a co-operative manner with the working classes. Mr Wiokes said that this proposal virtually meant that the promoters offered to build a line and take land in payment. This was to be effected on the co-operative plan, the laborers on the line taking paid-up scrip in the company in payment, thus forming themselves into a colonising company. They therefore asked the Government to reservo temporarily from sals the land spoken of. They did not think it would be too much to ask the Government to guarantee the cost of survey, pending the passage of the Bill through Parliament. In all other respects they simply asked to be treated in the same way as other applicants for land. The company only required that they rhould have the fee simple of tho land handed over to them, as the sections were completed, the Government taking over tho lino and working it, Mir Hall—Do you not contemplate working the line yourselves ? Mr Wiokes said that they wished the State to continue the railway on the same arrangement; as other Government railways. Mr Hall—Then, I understand you to come as contractors, asking for land in payment for the work of construction of the lino. Mr Wickes—We come certainly and entirely as contractors, wishing to mako the line as such. Mr Hall—But there are railways constructed by companies under tho District Railways Act. The Government work them for the company, but the profit or loss is their affair.

Mr Wickes—Tes ; but we were of opinion that this being a trunk railway through the island it should be in the hands of the Government,

Ex-Judge Weston said that the company, as proposed, would get over the difficulty in the construction of such a railway—viz., the raising of money to pay for it, by taking out the “coat Jof their work in land. He desired to point out that the railway would not only open up the vast mineral and natural resources of the West Coast, but would enable the producers on the East Coast to supply the consumers of tho West Coast. Though it might bo true that sailing vessels could get round with coal and timber, it was not alone this but tho opening up for settlemen:; of land now lying idle, therefore he thought tbo Government could bo fairly asked to reserve this land pending tho passage of the Bill. Tho company, if formed, would at once go to work and get the surveys in hand, so as there need be no delay. If the Bill wore thrown out all tho company would ask from the colony would bo to recoup them for the outlay they had gone to. Mr Browne brought under tho notice of tho Premier the plan of tho land, showing tho blocks of land along tho lino which it was proposed to reserve from sale. K::-Judgo Weston called tho attention of the Premier to tho proposition made by the company to take twenty acre blocks along the prop osed line. They now asked tho Premier

whether the Government would reserve the land as asked, and whether the Government would also favorably consider the proposed Bill.

Mr Hall asked the deputation to furnish him with a map of the proposed reserves, and also further particulars of their proposal, including a copy of the report and the proposal, Mr Bain said that the great point was to push on with the work. Mr Hall said they would not expect him to give an answer to it at once. Ho bad read the report very carefully, and ho might say that, recognising the great importance of the connection by railway of the East and West Coasts, tho Government were fully alive to and anxious to do everything in their power to dovelope tho natural resources of the colony. But it was unfortunate that the Government happened to hold office at a time when their inclinations and wishes in this direction were crippled by the straitened financial circumstances of tho colony. Therefore it was that ho at once said that pecuniary aid on tho part of tho Government was out of the question. As Mr Wickes had said, ho (Mr Hall) was much interested in anything connected with the West Coast, but ho desired to point out that tho Government could not deal with tho matter as an isolated case. So far as ho gathered, the proposition was that tho should make the line, taking tho payment in land. Other applications of a similar nature had been made, and therefore in giving an answer upon the request of the deputation they had to see what.tho result of it would be in other parts of the co lony, and also to consider what they would recommend to Parliament. Therefore the question required and would receive the careful consideration of the Government. The report which had been sent in from the engineers, Messrs Thornton and Browne, no doubt went into the question of engineering details as fully as tho time allowed, but he thought that some further details were wanted as to tho description of country passed through, engineering difficulties likely to be experienced, &c. Now with regard to the cost of survey, which the deputation wished the Government to provide in case the Bill did not pass the Legislature, ho might point out that with reference to another line, that from Foxton, the proposals of the deputation there contained another stipulation, which seemed to him to bo tho more desirable way. They had asked the Government to make tho survey because when they went into tho market to get the money they required, they would go with more confidence with a Government survey. He did not say that this should be made a strict condition on the Government, but that was the way the Foxton people had done.

Mr Wickes desired to point out that the line would be a Government lino, and that all tho plans, &0,, would bo submitted to the Government, and the line could not be taken over by tho Government until the plans, &o , had been approved of by the Government engineer. Mr Hall—Yes ; but the promoters in their proposals suggest that in tho event of a failure to obtain legislative powers, tho Government are to be asked to defray the cost of the survey. Mr Wickes—Yes ; but we submit the plans to the Government engineer, and tho line will be constructed under Government superintendence.

Mr Hall—Yes, but the Foxton people thought it much better to have the Government surveyor do tho work. So far as regords the purport of your visit to-day, you cannot expect mo to say more than that it will be brought before the Cabinet, and receive their earnest consideration.

Mr Packer said the pith of the matter seemed to him to lie in this—that there was a serious difference in the report of tho surveyors sent out by tho projectors and those of the Government. The latter reported that there were very serious engineering difficulties in the way, whilst it had been reported by their surveyors that this was not so, but that a comparatively easy gradient could be obtained.

Mr Hall—Yes; but the work involves a very large outlay of public money or land, which is the same thing. Messrs Thornton and Browne’s report does not fully lay before us tho engineering difficulties of the work.

Some farther discussion of a conversational character ensued.

Mr Hall then said, if tho papers were forwarded to him at Wellington ho would see that an early answer was sent to the deputation by the Government. Tho deputation then retired.